


But Something Happens When We Slow Dance

by wyntreaurora



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, but not THAT angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-14
Updated: 2011-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-10 23:29:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyntreaurora/pseuds/wyntreaurora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: #40 - LET'S DANCE: Bones and Jim slow dancing after a bad fight. it's their non-verbal way of forgiving each other. (maybe, it's how they deal with the whole non-trusty stuff that went on in the movie?)<br/>POV: Bones</p>
            </blockquote>





	But Something Happens When We Slow Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to witblogi not only for beta'ing, but for telling me this was good when I wanted to chuck the whole thing and start over, and for helping me fix the section that made me feel that way. Also, I've never written from a prompt like this before really, so it was a stretch to get my usually wordy brain to work inside a box ;)

_  
”Jim, I don’t know if I’m drunk enough for this.”  
“Yeah, well, I’m completely sober, so just hear me out.”  
“You’ve been gone all night and you expect me to believe you haven’t had anythi-”  
“Never even set foot in a bar. Something happened tonight that got me thinking and I’ve been out walking since then, working up the courage to do this, so shut up and let me get this out before I lose my nerve, ok?”  
_

Leonard remembered swallowing hard as he nodded silently that night, steeling himself for the words that never came. He had expected Jim to say that he had figured it out, had caught onto the fact that his best friend had been hiding feelings for him, that it wasn’t okay and that he was calling an end to their friendship. He had been afraid he was losing the only other thing he cared about besides his little girl.

He was totally unprepared when Jim had bypassed words altogether, fisted his hands in his shirt and smashed their mouths together.

As far as kisses go, it wasn’t one of the best he’d ever had, but given that it was Jim and it was their first, it couldn’t have been better if they had planned it. Equal parts shock and relief made Leonard give as good as he got, pouring as much as he could into that moment just in case when it was over Jim realized it was a mistake and walked away.

But Jim didn’t walk away. Instead that first kiss turned into another, then another, and before Leonard could process what was happening he was being stripped of his shirt and pushed down onto Jim’s bed. Everything happened so fast and was so overwhelming that Leonard, sadly, didn’t remember most of the details, but his body hadn’t forgotten the feel of Jim’s hands or the taste of Jim’s mouth as they both came in their boxers like inexperienced teenagers.

Leonard had started to apologize and tried to leave, but Jim hushed him with a kiss, pulled him in closer, and carded his fingers through Leonard’s hair until they both fell asleep a few minutes later. He’d been upset the next morning when he woke up alone until he remembered that Jim had his third shot at the Kobayashi Maru and found the note promising that they’d talk after he “kicked ass”.

Only their talk had never happened. The events of the last six weeks were a blur in Leonard’s mind - Jim’s hearing, the distress call, Vulcan’s annihilation, the fight with the Romulans from the future, limping back to Earth, and the absolutely insane amount of meetings, briefings and press conferences they’d all been subjected to once they returned.

And now, two weeks of being out in the black later, they still hadn’t talked. Leonard hated the awkwardness between them, hated the moments of not knowing what to say in the few moments alone they managed to grab in the mess before one of them was interrupted by one of their staff asking a question or pulling them away from a half-finished meal to deal with something that never did end up being important enough to skip food for. They’d tried to schedule time for each other, via short notes across the comm system, only to have each attempt thwarted by a clumsy crewman who needed stitches or a call from an admiral wanting to give Jim yet another diatribe of useless advice. Leonard was seriously beginning to wonder if Jim was avoiding him on purpose.

But they _needed_ to talk. Even if Jim had decided that night had been a mistake, Leonard wanted a chance to apologize for not sticking up for Jim with Spock during “the Narada incident” as it was now being referred to. So he did something he swore he’d never do - use his professional access for personal interests.

Citing that Jim needed some time off to help keep from having a breakdown from all the new stress and pressure he was under, Leonard asked Spock to keep Jim off the schedule for two full rotations starting after his next turn in alpha. He then scheduled himself off for the majority of the same time and threatened Christine within an inch of her life that he was “absolutely not, other than one of the senior command staff dying, to be bothered.” Then he went to Nyota and asked her to relay a similar message to Spock about Jim. She had just smirked knowingly and whispered in his ear, “About time, Len,” before she kissed him on the cheek and sauntered off to ensure her other half’s compliance.

Which is how he found himself now in Jim’s quarters, dinner programmed into the replicator, table set for the two of them, and all reminders of work tucked out of sight in the desk drawers, waiting for his best friend to show up. He hadn’t told Jim of his plans, just that he would meet him for dinner. He set the glass of bourbon he’d been sipping from down when he heard the swish of the doors and stood as he heard Jim call out.

“In here, Jim.”

He watched confusion cross Jim’s face as he noticed the small changes in his quarters.

“Bones?”  
“You need a break-”  
“And we need to talk.”  
“We do. But it can wait till after dinner.”

Jim nodded, removed his gold tunic and tossed it through the door to his bedroom before sitting down as Bones retrieved their meals from the replicator. Dinner was quiet, neither man aware of how hungry he’d been until food was in front of him with a guarantee of not being interrupted, and when they finished they sat in awkward silence for a few minutes until Jim spoke up. The tone in his voice was one Leonard was familiar with - Jim was frustrated.

“Bones, what are we doing?”  
“Having dinner, taking a break from this new life of constant chaos-”  
“No.”

Leonard watched as Jim took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.

“Why aren’t we talking? Isn’t that why we’re here?”  
“Jim, I’m sorry.”

Jim’s eyes flicked to Leonard’s showing confusion.

“Jim, before you say anything else, let me do this.”

Leonard paused, taking a large swallow from his glass of bourbon hoping it would make the words come out easier.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I let Spock maroon you. I’m sorry that I didn’t stick up for you after I was the one that dragged you along in the first place. I’m not sorry that I brought you, even if things had gone completely differently and we’d been killed or worse, I could never be sorry that I hadn’t left you behind. You’re the best friend I’ve got, and I’d have much rather gone through all of that knowing you were there too. But I am sorry about things with Spock.”

Leonard took a deep breath and waited for Jim’s response, watching the man across from him as a mess of different emotions flickered across his face. When Jim finally spoke, it was in a soft voice and a tone that Leonard had only ever heard once before - the night before all hell broke loose.

“I know you need to hear it, so I forgive you. Even though I was never upset with you about any of that.”

Jim paused and slid his hand across the table to grasp Leonard’s. He twined their fingers together and lifted them, holding their hands in Leonard’s line of sight as he continued.

“What are you afraid of, Bones? You forget how well I know you, it’s written all over your face. Are you afraid of this?”

Leonard felt Jim’s grip tighten.

“Bones, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that night. That night is why I made it back from Nero’s ship. I’ve been trying to find time to talk to you and shit keeps happening, and I’m just sorry it’s taken this long to talk about it.”  
“You don’t have to apologize-”  
“I had to accept your unnecessary apology, you have to accept mine.”

It took a moment for Leonard to respond as it all sank in. Jim wasn’t saying any of the things he’d been afraid of, that it was a mistake or that he didn’t want to be friends anymore.

“Really, Jim?”  
“Yes really. It’s only fair-”  
“No. I mean, really? You really...”  
“I really care about you? I really like what happened and I want it to happen again, well, I want it to be better than last time.”

Jim waggled his eyebrows on the last bit before his smile turned serious.

“Really, Bones.”

Leonard stared into the blue eyes that he never could say no to.

“You’re forgiven.”  
“Good. Now that all of that’s out of the way...”

And then he was being pulled out of his chair as Jim stood and pulled him into the middle of the room.

“Computer, music. Playlist four.”

Leonard didn’t fight it as Jim pulled their bodies together and began to sway to the soft chords. Jim pressed a quick kiss to the corner of Leonard’s mouth, nosed his way to Leonard’s ear, then gave a quick nip to his earlobe before whispering just barely loud enough for Leonard to hear.

“Dance with me.”

Leonard tightened his hold on Jim, and the two swayed softly, dancing and trading kisses long after the music ended.

**Author's Note:**

> "Companion" Fic by the lovely sullacat (on LJ) - [Hold Me Close, Sway Me More](http://sullacat.livejournal.com/106235.html) (Jim's POV)


End file.
